The present invention relates to chemical analysis instruments, particularly to gas chromatograph-mass spectrometers (GC-MS), and more particularly to a small portable high resolution GC-MS which can be used as a field portable organic chemical analysis instrument with the sensitivity and specificity of a highly sophisticated laboratory GC-MS.
Instruments which identify unknown chemical compounds using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) are well known, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,641,339 issue Feb. 8, 1972 to A. McCormick. However, such instruments are generally located in laboratories or other research facilities for example, and thus, unknown chemicals must be transported to such facilities for analysis. Such takes considerable time and expense compared to chemical analysis in the field or location of the unknown chemical. However, until recently, portable GC-MS systems were not available. Recent efforts to develop portable chemical analysis systems are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,295 issued Dec. 19, 1989 to S. Zaromb et al. and No. 5,153,433 issued Oct. 6, 1992 to B. D. Andresen et al.
Portable or field deployable GC-MS systems, such as the Viking Spectra Trak, made by Viking Instruments, Reston, Va., are expensive, costing over $150,000 and weigh approximately 150 pounds, and utilize an existing commercial mass spectrometer vacuum system which requires dolly transport. Thus, the prior known portable systems are both expensive and difficult to take to the field because of size and weight thereof. In addition, the power consumption of the prior known portable systems, such as the above-referenced Viking Spectra Trak, is between 1,000 to 1,500 watts depending upon the operational mode.
The recent environment concerns and market has generated opportunities to widely utilize field deployable GC-MS systems. The critical need for a small portable chemical analysis instrument, which is easy to use in a field environment, but which provides laboratory-grade data, has generated much interest among potential users. The need for such instruments is worldwide in scope. The need is driven by the increasing public awareness of environmental issues, and secured by extensive and growing public policy and regulations impacting those issues. The following outlines various current and new future applications for high resolution portable GC-MS instruments:
1. Forensics: The support of law enforcement for the analysis of drugs, crime scene evidence, accident debris, and arson residues. PA1 2. Chemical Weapons and Treaty Monitoring; To assure compliance and the nonproliferation of chemical weapons, which require sensitive and specific analyses. PA1 3. Regional Transit Authorities: For fast response analysis of spills and accidents on the roadways. PA1 4. Environmental Laboratories: To provide an instrument which can be operated in the laboratory or quickly taken out into the field for special analysis projects. PA1 5. Medical and Hospital: Various diagnostic analysis of patients relative to drug overdose, poisoning, and illness which can be carried in ambulance and/or emergency rooms. PA1 6. Universities: Chemical analysis class work and research. PA1 7. Industries: Monitoring chemical wastes, production chemicals, assembly line quality control, and other manufacturing processes. PA1 8. Commercial and Military Airport Security: Looking for bombs (explosive vapors) and drugs (residues) in luggage or packages, and in cargo containers, etc.
Thus, there is need for a readily portable, high resolution, gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. The exact chemical characterization of unknown substances in the environment, at crime scenes, at accident sites, or in an emergency room to aid the analysis of a poisonous substance is often very important. The removal of samples and transport of the material to a housed laboratory setting is both costly and time consuming. This need has been satisfied by the present invention which involves a small, portable, lightweight (less than 70 pounds), low power consumption (under 600 watts at peak power), GC-MS system which can be incorporated in a 9.5.times.18.times.27 inch suitcase, and thus enables immediate chemical analyses in the field. Samples are simply analyzed and the results seen on a large liquid crystal screen.